Folding tonneau cover apparatus

Abstract

A folding tonneau cover apparatus including a cover assembly and a support frame assembly. The cover assembly having a plurality of rigid panels interconnected in series by a series of flexible hinges preferably made from a laminated woven fabric material. The rigid panels are preferably stiffened by elongated support members secured to the undersides of the respective panels and the top surfaces of portions of the rigid panels are preferably downwardly concave. The cover assembly is secured to the support frame assembly to cover a cargo box of a pickup truck by a plurality of locking members when the support frame assembly is secured to sidewalls of the cargo box. Methods of making a tonneau cover apparatus and methods of folding and unfolding the cover assembly are also disclosed.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A tonneau cover apparatus for removable attachment about a top of a perimeter of a cargo box of a pickup truck, the perimeter of the cargo box including a forward end, two opposing sidewalls and a tailgate, the tailgate being positioned rearward of the forward end and having an open position and a closed position, the tonneau cover apparatus comprising:
 a cover assembly including a plurality of rigid panels including a first panel, a second panel, and a third panel; wherein the first panel and the second panel are pivotally interconnected by a first hinge; and   wherein the first panel includes a first panel edge, and the cover assembly further includes a securing recess proximate a top surface of the third panel, and wherein, when the cover assembly is engaged with the top of the perimeter of the cargo box, and the third panel is in a generally horizontal orientation, the first panel can pivot with respect to the second panel, and wherein when the first panel and the second panel are in a generally vertical orientation adjacent to and above a top surface of the third panel, the first panel edge can engage the securing recess to secure the first panel in the generally vertical orientation.   
     
     
         2 . The tonneau cover apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the first hinge is a flexible hinge. 
     
     
         3 . The tonneau cover apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the first hinge is a first flexible hinge and the first panel and the second panel are pivotally interconnected by the first flexible hinge that is secured to a first underside of the first panel and a second underside of the second panel. 
     
     
         4 . The tonneau cover apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein, when the cover assembly is engaged with the top of the perimeter of the cargo box, and the third panel is in a generally horizontal orientation, the first panel can pivot with respect to the second panel so that the first panel can rest upon the third panel in an upright orientation in which the first panel is secured. 
     
     
         5 . The tonneau cover apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the first panel can pivot with respect to the second panel so that the first panel can rest upon the third panel in an upright orientation when the first panel is secured in the upright orientation. 
     
     
         6 . The tonneau cover apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the first hinge is a flexible hinge and the flexible hinge is secured to a first underside of the first panel and a second underside of the second panel by an adhesive. 
     
     
         7 . The tonneau cover apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the cover assembly further includes a securing member that can secure the first panel and the second panel in a generally vertical orientation with respect to a top surface of the third panel when the cover assembly is secured to the top of the perimeter of the cargo box. 
     
     
         8 . The tonneau cover apparatus of  claim 7 , wherein the securing member is selected from a group consisting of a panel bracket, a cab bracket, a cab strap, a cab magnet, a side strap, a cab panel strap, a securing magnet, a securing bracket, and combinations thereof. 
     
     
         9 . The tonneau cover apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein each of the first, second and third panels has a thickness of from about 0.020 inches to about 0.200 inches. 
     
     
         10 . A tonneau cover apparatus for removable attachment about a top of a perimeter of a cargo box of a pickup truck, the perimeter of the cargo box including a forward end, two opposing sidewalls and a tailgate, the tailgate being positioned rearward of the forward end and having an open position and a closed position, the tonneau cover apparatus comprising:
 a cover assembly including a plurality of rigid panels including a first panel, a second panel, and a third panel; wherein the first panel and the second panel are pivotally interconnected by a first hinge;   wherein the first panel includes a first panel edge, and the cover assembly further includes a securing recess proximate a top surface of the third panel; wherein, when the cover assembly is engaged with the top of the perimeter of the cargo box, and a third top surface of the third panel is in a generally horizontal orientation with respect to the top of the perimeter of the cargo box, the first panel can pivot with respect to the second panel, and when the first panel and the second panel are in a generally vertical orientation adjacent to and above the top surface of the third panel, the first panel edge can engage the securing recess to secure the first panel in the generally vertical orientation so that the first panel can be secured so that a first top surface of the first panel is in a generally upright orientation with respect to the third top surface of the third panel.   
     
     
         11 . The tonneau cover apparatus of  claim 10 , wherein the first hinge is a flexible hinge. 
     
     
         12 . The tonneau cover apparatus of  claim 10 , wherein the first hinge is a flexible hinge and the first panel and the second panel are pivotally interconnected by a first flexible hinge that is secured to a first underside of the first panel and a second underside of the second panel. 
     
     
         13 . The tonneau cover apparatus of  claim 10 , wherein, when the cover assembly is engaged with the top of the perimeter of the cargo box, and the third panel is in a generally horizontal orientation, the first panel can pivot with respect to the second panel so that the first panel can rest upon the third panel in an upright orientation in which the first panel is secured. 
     
     
         14 . The tonneau cover apparatus of  claim 10 , wherein the first panel can pivot with respect to the second panel so that the first panel can rest upon the third panel in an upright orientation when the first panel is secured in the upright orientation. 
     
     
         15 . The tonneau cover apparatus of  claim 10 , wherein the first hinge is a flexible hinge and the flexible hinge is secured to a first underside of the first panel and a second underside of the second panel by an adhesive. 
     
     
         16 . The tonneau cover apparatus of  claim 10 , wherein the cover assembly further includes a securing member that can secure the first panel and the second panel in a generally vertical orientation with respect to a top surface of the third panel when the cover assembly is secured to the top of the perimeter of the cargo box. 
     
     
         17 . The tonneau cover apparatus of  claim 16 , wherein the securing member is selected from a group consisting of a panel bracket, a cab bracket, a cab strap, a cab magnet, a side strap, a cab panel strap, a securing magnet, a securing bracket, and combinations thereof. 
     
     
         18 . The tonneau cover apparatus of  claim 10 , wherein each of the first, second and third panels has a thickness of from about 0.020 inches to about 0.200 inches. 
     
     
         19 . A method of using a hard folding tonneau cover, the method comprising:
 providing a tonneau cover apparatus for removable attachment about a top of a perimeter of a cargo box of a pickup truck, the perimeter of the cargo box including a forward end, two opposing sidewalls and a tailgate, the tailgate being positioned rearward of the forward end and having an open position and a closed position, the tonneau cover apparatus including a cover assembly including a plurality of rigid panels including a first panel, a second panel, and a third panel; wherein the first panel and the second panel are pivotally interconnected by a first hinge; wherein the cover assembly further includes a securing recess proximate a top surface of the third panel, and the first panel includes a first panel edge; and   securing the cover assembly to the top of the perimeter of the cargo box; wherein, when the cover assembly is engaged with the top of the perimeter of the cargo box, and a third top surface of the third panel is in a generally horizontal orientation with respect to the top of the perimeter of the cargo box, the first panel can pivot with respect to the second panel, and when the first panel and the second panel are in a generally vertical orientation adjacent to and above a top surface of the third panel, the first panel edge can engage the securing recess to secure the first panel in the generally vertical orientation so that the first panel can be secured so that a first top surface of the first panel is in a generally upright orientation with respect to the third top surface of the third panel.   
     
     
         20 . The method of  claim 19 , wherein the first hinge is a flexible hinge. 
     
     
         21 . The method of  claim 19 , wherein the first hinge is a first flexible hinge and the first panel and the second panel are pivotally interconnected by the first flexible hinge that is secured to a first underside of the first panel and a second underside of the second panel. 
     
     
         22 . The method of  claim 19 , wherein, when the cover assembly is engaged with the top of the perimeter of the cargo box, and the third panel is in a generally horizontal orientation, the first panel can pivot with respect to the second panel so that the first panel can rest upon the third panel in an upright orientation in which it is secured. 
     
     
         23 . The method of  claim 19 , wherein the first panel can pivot with respect to the second panel so that the first panel can rest upon the third panel in an upright orientation when the first panel is secured in the upright orientation. 
     
     
         24 . The tonneau cover apparatus of  claim 19 , wherein the first hinge is a flexible hinge and the flexible hinge is secured to a first underside of the first panel and a second underside of the second panel by an adhesive. 
     
     
         25 . The tonneau cover apparatus of  claim 19 , wherein the cover assembly further includes a securing member that can secure the first panel and the second panel in a generally vertical orientation with respect to a top surface of the third panel when the cover assembly is secured to the top of the perimeter of the cargo box. 
     
     
         26 . The tonneau cover apparatus of  claim 25 , wherein the securing member is selected from a group consisting of a panel bracket, a cab bracket, a cab strap, a cab magnet, a side strap, a cab panel strap, a securing magnet, a securing bracket, and combinations thereof. 
     
     
         27 . The tonneau cover apparatus of  claim 10 , wherein each of the first, second and third panels has a thickness of from about 0.020 inches to about 0.200 inches.